they had no
chance in his presence. To these fellows, and many more who knew him, he
stood as a confidential friend and counselor, and was as a father to many
a boy in the time of trouble. Many were the fathers who would have given
a good deal to have held the place in their sons' estimations that Mr.
Allen did.

The trip that night did several things for Willis. It told him plainly
that he was going to be an ardent lover of the mountains and life in
them, just as he had dreamed and hoped he might.

Several weeks later, when Willis came home one evening, he found his
mother waiting for him at the door with an envelope in her hand. Willis
had told his mother all about his trip to the "Gulch," and had confessed
to her how proud he would be to become a member of "O.F.F." A warm
friendship had sprung up between Chuck and himself, and he was learning
to be happy in the companionship of that crowd. He eagerly reached for
the envelope, and, opening it, read aloud:

"Next Friday evening 'O.F.F.' will hold an outing meeting in Williams
Canyon. We will first take you through Huccacode Cave, then we will have
supper on Pinion Crag. We will hold our meeting about the council fire,
at which time we will be very pleased to extend to you the right hand of
fellowship, and make you a full-fledged member of 'O.F.F.'

"ROBT. DENNIS,
President."

"Isn't that great, mother! I'm really to be a member of the very best
Bible group at the Association. It's a club, too, you know, and holds
every member to a clean standard of life in work and play. Every Saturday
night they meet at the Association for supper and a half-hour of Bible
study. Mr. Allen is teacher, but they all do a lot of talking. O, it's
great! I'm tickled to death! I want you to know every one of those
fellows, mother. Sleepy is the poorest man--besides me, of course. I
can't say I like him so well. He's a little sneaky, I think. Chuck told
me they took him in because Mr. Allen wanted them to. The 'Chief' says he
has a pile of good in him, if we can just get it out. He has been awfully
nice to me, though. He talks camera to me almost every time I see him.
I showed him the pictures I made last spring of the thrush's nest, and he
was crazy over them. I'm going to teach him how to photograph flowers and
birds and nature. I'm glad I can do something that's worth while, or I'd
feel unhappy in that bunch. Sleepy has a wireless outfit and knows all
about electricity. Shorty Wier w